On Wednesday, April 18, fifth graders from McGregor Elementary School participated in an archaeological dig on school property. The dig was led by Dr. Richard Stamps, associate professor of anthropology and archaeology at Oakland University, and five archaeology students from the university.

The dig was the last of a three-part program highlighting McGregor's 50th anniversary. The program, led by historian and McGregor parent Tiffany Dziurman Stozicki, began in March when students-turned-history-detectives combed through historical documents, including census records and maps, for clues about the history of the school's property from 1824 to 1960. It was in 1961 when the Howard L. McGregor family donated the land to the the Rochester Community Schools for the sole purpose of constructing a school. McGregor Elementary opened in Sept. 1961.

The second portion of the program took place on April 12 when Dr. Stamps visited the fifth graders to introduce them to archaeology and prepare them for Wednesday's exciting dig.

Approximately 80 students in five teams worked on test sites near the school's bus loop. Each student was assigned a task -- digger, note taker, sifter or photographer. Together with their site leaders from Oakland University, the students found some interesting artifacts, including a metal pipe, a wooden surveyor's stake, and window glass. Each artifact was photographed and documented for future reference. The artifacts will be on display at the school in the near future.

Conor and Joey dig for artifacts on McGregor School grounds. The dig was in celebration of the school's 50th anniversary and was led by Dr. Richard Stamps of Oakland University.